The Chronicles of E Malfoy: Beginnings
by Slvwng600
Summary: A change in perspective can make all the difference. Eliza Malfoy, twin sister of Draco Malfoy, esteemed daughter of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, has everything she could ever want in the world. But when she meets a certain boy, things change far beyond what she could ever expect. Join her on the epic beginning to the Chronicles of E. Malfoy.
1. Prolouge

The gentle splatter of rain on the arching windows was backed by the distant rumble of thunder as lightning flashed over the hills and forests of the manor grounds. Inside the luxurious manor was silent, when suddenly a sharp crack shattered the low rumbles of thunder, echoing across the manicured grounds. At the end of the manor's long hedge-lined drive a dark figure appeared, pulling its billowing cloak tight around itself like a shield from the rain. The figure strode towards the twisted wrought iron gate, drawing a wand from the depths of its cloak. With a sharp flick, the gate seemed to dissipate, more like dark smoke than metal, and the figure walked right through, the gate once again becoming solid behind it. The dark manor loomed ahead, soft gaslight shining from the second-floor windows. The figure came to a halt in front of the grand oak front doors, hesitating for just a moment, before reaching out a hand and knocking the large ornate door knocker. The deep booms could be heard resonating through the house, and in a moment, the door swung open. Before the figure, framed in light from the entrance fireplace behind it, was a tiny, ugly creature. Large bat-like ears protruded on either side of its head, in the middle of which were two large eyes set above a long crooked nose. It was wearing an old dishtowel, stained and worn thin from lack of care, wrapped around its torso like a dress.

"Tilly, fetch your mistress" the figure commanded

With a frightened squeak the house elf snapped its spindly fingers and disappeared with a crack, leaving the door open. The figure stepped inside, shutting the door behind itself and, lowering its hood, made its way to stand in front of the crackling fire in the entrance hall mantle. A moment later footsteps could be heard at the top of the grand staircase, and a woman appeared.

"Severus? What are you doing here? Is Lucius...?"

"Lucius is fine, Narcissa" the man cut her off, his voice hoarse and cracking slightly

"then what are you doing here? What's happened?" Narcissa began, making her way down the steps.

"I need your help Narcissa, I need you to..." His words broke off as he struggled to maintain his composure "Here, take it"

He drew back his cloak to reveal a young girl wrapped in blankets, barely a year old, sound asleep against his shoulder

"Severus, what is this?"

"Just take it, please" He held the girl out to her, forcing it into her arms.

"who is she?" Narcissa asked, brushing aside the girl's short locks of red hair. When Severus gave no reply, she looked at him and gasped softly in realization "Severus, I can't! The dark lord – "

"The dark lord is dead Narcissa!" Severus snapped "he's been destroyed"

"Impossible...Lucius will never – "

"He doesn't have to know. Listen to me, how long do you think it'll take before the Ministry is at your door? How long until they come for Lucius? For you?"

"I...I don't understand"

"Think Narcissa. What do you think will happen to Draco then? Sent away to live with someone else, your fortune, your reputation, everything, gone. Even Lucius would be able to see the truth in that"

"Then what do we do?" her voice was barely a whisper, fear creeping into her expression.

"lie, say whatever you have to. The dark lord has used many promises to gain followers, many curses as well. The ministry will never be able to tell the difference. We both know the power of the imperius curse"

"but what about the child Severus? I can't keep her"

"yes, you can" Severus paused, his dark eyes glancing at the sleeping girl. "what minister would put away a family who repents? Forced into service under the imperious curse, awakening to realize the horrors they had been forced to perform. Powerful, influential people, so overcome with shame you feel so compelled to give back you take in an unknown child at your door. One of countless orphans of this war. Swearing to raise them as your own alongside your own infant son. No minister would put you away, the public outrage would ruin them."

Narcissa looked down at the child nestled against her chest, so like her own son sound asleep in the nursery upstairs. She sighed, realizing the truth of his words. "I'll take her" she said finally, her voice barely a whisper "I'll take her for you"

"Thank you Narcissa. I owe you a debt I hope I can someday repay."

The woman nodded, her eyes fixed on the sleeping girl in her arms, the corner of her mouth turned down into a contemplating frown. "You should leave now" she murmured "run to whoever will save you. They'll be hunting for us soon"

She turned and began slowly making her way up the staircase, careful not to wake the child. At the top she paused, turning.

"Severus" she called down, stopping the man as he made his way towards the door "what's her name?"

Severus paused, the image of the crumbling house he had just left coming to his mind. Letters of a name hanging on the wall over a crib, several of them fallen and scattered across the floor.

"Eliza"

Narcissa nodded, lost in thought, as she disappeared down the hall and out of sight.

Severus let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He opened the door and made his way out into the rain. Pausing the stare up at the falling water, lost in thought as he pondered what was to come. Then, with a crack, he disappeared.


	2. Chapter 1

The early morning sunlight shone through the large arched windows, making the curtains surrounding the ornate four poster bed shimmer silver. On the bed, lying on her stomach was a young girl. She had a book propped up on a pillow at the foot of the bed and her feet were resting on the silk pillows leaning against the headboard. Her light auburn hair fell in sheets around her face like shining red curtains.

The book was a rather old one, its leather cover cracked with age and the gold leaf on the title had chipped and worn off so much over the years that you had to squint to make it out, but it didn't matter. She was the only one who read it and she knew it so well she could pick it out from hundreds of other books just by the size and the deep red of the leather, for it was her favorite. The book had been a secret Christmas gift from her mother, and one of the only muggle-written books in the house. Her father had a vendetta against them, along with most things that were muggle-made, and if he found her beloved copy he would surely have it removed. When her mother had given it to her, she had said it had once been her sisters favorite when she was a girl. However, when the girl had enquired about her Aunt Andromeda, her mother only shook her head, saying she had made a terrible decision many years ago, and that she was not to speak of her any further

There was a knock on the door and the girl jumped, having been so engrossed in world of the story, quickly shoving the book under her quilt to hide it from sight. The large oak door opened, and her mother peeked her head inside. She was, in all respects, a beautiful woman. Tall and slim with long blonde hair. Her bright blue eyes betrayed her annoyance. "Honestly Eliza, I told you to get ready almost twenty minutes ago" she said in her cold, clear voice "Your father got tired of waiting and has gone on ahead with Draco"

Eliza looked up guiltily, withdrawing the book from its rushed hiding place. She hated having to put it away at this point in the story. Marianne, the romantically inclined heroine of the story, was just about to meet the dashing (and not to mention handsome) John Willoughby. "Sorry mother" Eliza replied innocently "I just got caught up in the story. And besides, it's not my fault father is so impatient." Immediately she wished she hadn't said the last part. Her mother gave a withering look

"I'll be waiting downstairs. You have three minutes to join me or I'll be leaving without you." Eliza's mother turned and left, shutting the door hard behind her. Eliza winced; upsetting her mother with such a rude comment was not a good way to start the day.

She reached out and grabbed the long feather she used as a bookmark from where it rested beside her. It was a tail feather from her barn owl, Athena. She'd gotten Athena as a present for her ninth birthday two years ago. She stroked the soft barbs a few times before tucking the feather gently between the pages and shutting the book with a quiet thud, tucking it away under her pillows for later. She rolled off her stomach and swung her feet round to rest on the floor. She slipped on her favorite Mary Jane flats and rushed out of the bedroom, grabbing her cloak off the hook by her door on the way past.

Her room was such a contrast to the rest of the house that sometimes it was hard to believe it was in the same house. She traded the warm sunlight for the dim gaslights that served as the house's main light sources. Eliza raced down her 'secret' stairway. The small winding staircase wasn't really a secret but since she was the only one who used it, other than the house-elves that is, it was easy to believe it was yet to be discovered by the rest of the family. She pushed open the swinging door at the bottom of the stairwell and stepped out in between two large bookshelves in the library. From there it was only a short run down another hallway to the entrance hall. The plush carpet runner underfoot muffled the sound of her feet as she raced past the portraits on the walls, a few of them calling out for her to slow down.

Her mother was standing in front of the large marble fireplace. Eliza paused a moment to catch her breath, then cleared her throat and her mother turned to look at her

"I'm glad to see you've finally decided to join me." Eliza said nothing, her eyes downcast as she stared at her shoes. "Come on then, your father is probably debating whether or not to come back to get us by now"

Eliza looked up as her mother reached up to grab a small porcelain jar from where it sat on top of the mantel. She walked to the fireplace, coming to a stop at the woman's side. Eliza's mother held out the jar, a quarter full with a glittering silver powder, and Eliza grabbed a small handful.

"To the Leaky Cauldron then" her mother stated.

She took a deep breath and nodded, stepping into the fireplace. "The Leaky Cauldron!" she called out, as she had done many times before, and threw the powder to the grate at her feet.

The feeling of spinning like a top, faster and faster as brief images of other fireplaces appeared and disappeared rapidly as she spun. She clamped her mouth shut and closed her eyes, keeping her elbows tucked tightly to her body, only reaching out when the spinning began to slow. She opened her eyes and stumbled forward, catching hold of the mantle to keep from falling. She looked around, taking in the familiar sights of the run down bar. A moment later her mother appeared in a rush of green fire. Brushing the soot from her cloak she muttered with disgust.

"why they can't figure out a way to make floo powder cleaner I'll never understand. Come along then."

With only a nod at the barkeeper they made their way through the near empty bar and out the back door into a small, dusty courtyard. Pulling out her wand, Eliza's mother tapped one of the bricks and suddenly the entire wall began to rearrange itself. Together they walked under the newly formed brick arch and began making their way through the throngs of witches and wizards going about their shopping in Diagon Alley.

As they made their way down the cobbled street Eliza spotted the long white hair of her father as he stood examining a set of crystal vials. "Lucius!" Her mother called, and he looked up, setting down the delicate crystal. He greeted her by taking her hand in his, kissing it swiftly, and then turning his attention to Eliza. "I trust there was good reason for the delay" he inquired, his expression stern. "I'm sorry father, I didn't intend to be late." He made an affirmative 'hmph' which was to be taken as an acceptance of her apology, and turned back to her mother. "That oaf was here" he said quietly, his voice dripping with disgust "I'm surprised they still let him wander loose among civilized people." Her mother made a quick hushing motion, for at that moment her brother emerged from Madame Malkins. "Father" he drawled "I'm finished now"

"I'll take care of it" Narcissa said, smiling slightly "Eliza still needs her robes anyway. We'll meet with you after."

She took Eliza's hand and led her to the robe shop, pausing to instruct her brother he was to stay with their father and continue his shopping. Eliza stuck her tongue out at him quickly as she passed, a gesture he returned before heading off. The short witch in Mauve robes greeted them at the door. "Mrs. Malfoy, always a pleasure" she said, smiling brightly.

Eliza's mother nodded "I believe my son has just finished his fitting, my daughter is in need of robes as well."

"Of course, right this way" said Madame Malkin, waving Eliza towards the back of the shop "We'll have you fitted in a jiffy" The older witch grabbed a Hogwarts robe off one of many racks and slipped it over Eliza's head and set about hemming it to the right length. Eliza occupied herself with watching the people walking past the windows, as her mother browsed the selection of formal wear. She felt a pat on her shoulder and the robe was pulled over her head "you're all done sweetheart" Eliza hopped down from the stool and went back over to stand with her mother. Madame Malkin disappeared into the back of the shop and reappeared with a sheet of parchment which she passed to her mother "Here you are, everything on the list will sent to your home in a couple days." Eliza smiled up at the kindly woman and let her mother pay, then together they left the shop.

They went a little ways down the street before Eliza stopped in front of the ice cream parlor "Mother?" she asked cautiously.

Her mother stopped and turned "Yes?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I was wondering if maybe…I could do the rest of my shopping on my own today."

Her mother was silent for a moment, and then she sighed and reached into her cloak, pulling out Eliza's Hogwarts letter and a small coin pouch. Eliza took them both and shoved them into the pocket of her jeans. "Buy your supplies and meet me back here by sundown" Her mother instructed before turning and continuing her way down the street, probably off to find her father and brother. Eliza stood there for a moment, planning her route. First stop would be her cauldron because she could use it to carry the rest of the supplies. She turned and strode back the way she had come, stopping outside the little shop near the end with piles and piles of cauldrons stacked out front.

A few minutes later she emerged with a new pewter cauldron (Standard size 2) and made her way back through the crowds of people. Next stop would be her schoolbooks at Flourish and Blotts. On the way she stopped at Magical Menagerie, where she picked up her scales, vials and her telescope and had them packed up in a box which she tucked under one arm. She walked into the bookshop and began weaving her way through the maze of book towers. After a few minutes of searching she located the display of school books and grabbed what she needed. She paid and left, tucking the books into the cauldron to make carrying them easier. Outside the shop she paused. She could go get her quills and parchment, the shop was just across the street, but she had a set of quills and ink at home already and parchment wasn't exactly hard to come by. Besides, she knew Draco would have his wand by now and she wasn't one to get left out. She would go to Ollivander's next.

The dusty old shop was at the end of the street and you could honestly say it had seen better days. The gold lettering over the door was peeling away and the windows were coated with dust. She would have preferred going somewhere else but being the only wand shop in Diagon Alley (and apparently one of the best in the world) she didn't have much choice. She was so caught up in her thoughts that it wasn't until she had run smack into the boy that she even noticed he was there.

Her cauldron slipped from her hand and crashed the ground with a loud clang. Her new school books spilling out and scattering across the dusty cobblestone. She fumbled with her package and managed to catch it before it fell to the ground. "Oh my goodness I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, bending down and gathering up her books. She was just about to grab her cauldron when a huge hand came out of nowhere and picked it up for her. She looked up to see the most enormous man she had ever seen. She stood up and took a step back, craning her neck to see his face.

"I'm guessing this is yer's?" the man boomed in his deep voice. Eliza nodded and took the cauldron "Thank you" she murmured quietly.

"Are you OK?" she heard the boy ask and she turned to look at him. He had messy black hair and bright green eyes. His clothes were rather baggy and looked like they were a few sizes too big and his glasses were held together with a bit of cello tape wrapped around the part that went over the nose. Certainly not the kind of person her parents would approve of her interacting with, but he seemed pleasant enough, perhaps her parents didn't need to know.

"I'm fine thank you"

The boy held out his hand "I'm Harry and that's Hagrid" he nodded towards the large man.

She hesitated a moment, then shook his hand "Eliza" she said with a small smile, eyeing the giant man warily

"I've heard about you" she began, facing Hagrid "You work at Hogwarts, dont you?" the large man nodded slowly. "He's the gamekeeper" Harry piped up, annoyance evident in his voice

"I see" she nodded thoughtfully. She had many questions forming in her mind, but knew better than to ask them. First impressions were important after all, and it seemed she was off to a bad start. But still the idea of gamekeeper peaked her interests. Their own manor had a grounds keeper, who oversaw the gardens and cared for their multitude of birds and other pets. When she was younger she had often trailed along after the man and insisted on helping, despite her mother's protests that it was 'unlady-like'. "Sounds like a wonderful job, do you get to work with many animals?" She thought of her own two dogs at home, fully grown but as playful as puppies. The great man nodded "I have Fang, great hulking beast, but as gentle as lamb"

"Well Mr. Hagrid," she said finally "I think you seem like a perfectly good fellow." She smiled, and turned to Harry "perhaps you'd like to be friends? I think we'll get along perfectly well." The boy nodded "I'd like that very much." She wasn't entirely sure why she liked this boy in front of her, but there was something about him that made her smile. Surely her parents wouldn't be too upset with her.

"Blimy, look at the time!" Hagrid boomed, looking at his pocket watch "We better get going if we're gonna catch yer train home Harry" He turned to Eliza and stuck out his hand, which Eliza shook "Are you coming to Hogwarts?" Harry asked and she nodded

"I'll look for you on the train" she replied, smiling.

They left, Harry giving her one last wave before being swallowed up by the crowd but she could still see Hagrid since he dwarfed everyone there. She sighed and pushed open the old door to the wand shop. She could hear a bell tinkling somewhere in the depths of the shop and an old man was standing at a small desk. On the desk was a pile of twenty or so wands the man was carefully placing back into their boxes. "Excuse me?" Eliza called softly, setting her cauldron and package on a stool by the door.

The man stood up and turned, smiling brightly at her "well well well, you're a curious one. What's your name?" Mr. Ollivander asked. Eliza straightened "Malfoy, my name is Eliza Malfoy" The old man chuckled again "is it now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow "Then it's safe to assume it was your brother who was in here earlier with Narcissa. He got a nice wand that one, hawthorn and unicorn hair, precisely ten inches. T'was an interesting choice…very interesting indeed. But then again, it is the wand that chooses the wizard."

Ollivander turned back to the wands "I'm guessing you'll be wanting your wand now then, hmm?"

Eliza nodded "Yes sir."

"Come here then and I'll see what I can find." Eliza stepped up to the table. He snapped his fingers and a silver tape measure sprang up from the desk and began taking measurements while Mr. Ollivander disappeared between two shelves. He appeared at the other end of the narrow shop carrying an armful of boxes. He snapped his fingers again and the tape measure crumpled to the floor. "Try this one" Mr. Ollivander said, handing her a handsome wand "Elm and unicorn hair, eleven and three quarter inches, pliable" Eliza gave the wand a small wave and the old man snatched it away "nope, how 'bout this? Red oak and phoenix feather, ten and a half inches, rather bendy" she twirled the wand a few times before it too was taken away "close, very close but not quite" He stood for a second, thinking before snapping his fingers "I've got it!" he exclaimed and scurried back to the shelves, pulling out a light blue box on the top shelf "Aspen and dragon heartstring, eleven and a half inches, nice and supple" He handed the wand to her.

It was a beautiful wand, white with a fine grain and a nicely shaped handle that sat comfortably in her hand. Subtle yet delicate carvings wound their way up the length of the wand. She held her breath and gave it a twirl. The tip began to glow with a soft silver light and her fingers started to tingle. "Wonderful!" Mr. Ollivander exclaimed "You can never top the feeling of accomplishment when matching a young witch or wizard with the perfect wand." Eliza could feel her cheeks growing hot as she stood there, unable to stop the wide smile spreading across her face. "Thank you" she managed, pulling out seven galleons and handing them to the old man. The reality of the situation was finally starting to set in. She was a witch, and she was going to Hogwarts to study under one of the most recognized headmasters the school had seen. _'And I've got a new friend'_ she thought, thinking of Hagrid and Harry.

She emerged from the wand shop to see, to her dismay, that the sun was hanging low over the rooftops of the alley shops. She cursed and raced up the street, dodging the few witches and wizards who were finishing their shopping. She could see her mother waiting outside the ice cream parlor and slowed to a walk. Her mother spotted her and the corner of her mouth twitched upwards "glad to see you _can_ be on time" she said, chuckling. "Come on, your father is over looking at racing brooms with Draco" She put her arm around Eliza's shoulders and took the book filled cauldron with her other hand.

"Anything interesting happen?" her mother asked, looking down as her as they made their way up the street towards the quidditch shop.

"I met another student when I went to get my wand"

"did you? And were they…respectable?" her mother raised an eyebrow

"I believe so" Eliza nodded "I think I'd like to be friends with him"

"I see" her mother nodded her approval but said no more as they came to the shop. They passed the group of kids staring at the nimbus 2000 displayed in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies and stepped inside. From wall to wall the store was every quidditch players dream. An entire wall was devoted to the latest models in brooms while on another was a huge display of quidditch robes. Behind the glass counter, sitting on shelves, where sets of quidditch balls. Bludgers were chained into the wall, quaffles gleaming as if they had just been polished and, in the middle, a line of gleaming snitches flittering their silver wings as if wishing they could be free of their bonds and fly.

She passed a display case filled with helmets and pads and spied Draco admiring a row of nimbus 2000's. She walked over to stand beside him "They're pretty" she said simply, gazing at the shiny mahogany handle and gold engravings. Draco snickered. "What?" Eliza glared at him, her hazel eyes narrowed in annoyance. " _Pretty?_ Is that really the best you can come up with?" her brother scoffed "haven't you heard? It's-"

"The fastest broom in the world, I know" Eliza interrupted, rolling her eyes. "It's the Nimbus Racing Broom Company's most successful model, and currently ranked as the best worldwide. It performs much better than our old Comet 260 models, it can handle much tighter turns at almost twice the speed." She glanced over to see Draco's expression and smirked when she saw he was speechless, his mouth hanging open slightly. "You aren't the only one who loves quidditch you know" Eliza said teasingly, sticking her tongue out.

"I believe we are all familiar with your love of quidditch by now Eliza" came a voice from behind the two children and they turned. Standing there was their father, his steely grey eyes shining with amusement. Eliza smiled "Hello Father" she said cheerfully "Have you seen the new Nimbus model? It's the very best available."

Her father raised an eyebrow "Is it now?"

"Of course" Draco piped in "and don't you always say we deserve the best? How else to you expect me to become a professional quidditch player if I don't have the right broom?"

Eliza elbowed him in the ribs, and he cast her a scowl. He knew perfectly well that she wanted to play quidditch when she got older, and was a better flyer than him.

"Your comet is perfectly acceptable for someone of your age" Their father said dismissively.

"But that's not fair" Draco protested "We should be able to have a broom at Hogwarts, we already know how to fly"

"Draco, that is enough" Her father's voice became sharp with warning. "Now darling" Narcissa chiding, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder. "They're getting much too old to still be sharing a broom. And besides, when we bought the comet it was the best model for them at the time"

Her father sighed, and Eliza could see him contemplating his words. "Perhaps you are correct" he began slowly, and Draco smirked, seeing he was about to get his way. "you do not, however, require a Nimbus"

"Ha!" Eliza exclaimed at her brother's crestfallen face, but her mother shot her a disapproving glare. "sorry" she said sheepishly.

"come" Lucius Malfoy commanded in a clipped voice, Eliza and her brother having no choice but to follow. Together they approached the counter and the clerk stepped up to assist them. "Mr. Malfoy, good to see you again! I trust the comet is still treating you well?" the clerk asked.

"It performs well enough," Eliza's father replied "However, with two growing children, one broom between the two is no longer sufficient."

The clerk nodded "certainly sir, what can I get for you today?" Mr. Malfoy glanced his children and said "A cleansweep seven should be more than enough for the time being."

The clerk smiled "An excellent choice sir! A tried and true broom for any young witch or wizard. If you would please wait here I'll be back in a moment"

The clerk left, disappearing through a door behind the counter into the back room. Eliza waited nervously, while Draco scowled, seemingly disappointed he had not gotten his way. Finally the clerk reappeared, a hardwood broomcase in one hand, and a bill of sale in the other. He laid the broomcase on the counter and opened the latch. The cleansweep seven was undeniably a handsome broom, dark wooden handle sanded smooth and bristles tamed and straight, unlike the wilder look of many of the cleansweep company's earlier models. "It'll be 23 galleons please sir"

"I'll have it transferred to you by tomorrow" Elizas father stated matter of factly, while 23 galleons was a significant amount to some, it was more like small change compared to their fortune within the Gringotts vaults. The clerk nodded "of course sir," he finished writing the amount and with a flourish stamped the bill of sale with the store's seal before handing the parchment the Lucius. Draco eagerly grabbed the broomcase from the counter "Thank you Father" he crowed in delight.


	3. Chapter 2

Eliza found the last month of summer to be really quite enjoyable. Disappointingly, but not unexpectedly, her brother claimed the new cleansweep entirely for himself. Even still she would wake up early each morning and head out to one of the wooded fields with the Comet. Her parents had had a set of quidditch goal posts built for her and Draco to practice with and she made good use of them. Not having to share a broom any more was also a bonus. The comet was… decent, but she could never get it to maneuver properly, especially when practicing quidditch drills in the woods.

Sometimes Draco would come out to join her and they would race. Him showing off his faster broom, often beating her due to its increased speed alone. She didn't overly mind, it was just how things were. All her life she had been living in his shadow. Going where he wanted, hanging out with his friends. She didn't complain though, especially with the promise of school looming ever closer.

The evenings, although not as exciting, were also enjoyable. She would curl up with one of her school books and read deep into the night. The candles often burning out long before she felt it was time to sleep. The days past quickly and the nights even quicker until, finally, it was time to go.

The morning they were to leave Eliza woke early, the sun just barely visible over the horizon, only to find her trunk had already been packed. She checked it just to make sure everything was there and smiled. One of the house elves must have packed it while she was sleeping, not that there had been much to do. She grabbed her wand from where it rested in top of her clothes and shut the heavy lid of the trunk. She got dressed quickly, not bothering to dress up since her robes would cover everything she was wearing, and after tucking her wand safely in her pocket she bounded down the hall to the main stairway. She took the steps two at a time, her socked feet hardly making a sound on the cold marble. A house elf was waiting for her in the dining room. He bowed deeply when she entered, his nose almost brushing the polished stone floor.

"Good morning miss, what can Dobby get for you miss?" he said, wiping his hands on the dirty pillowcase he wore.

She glanced at him "The usual" she said, and continued walking. She didn't dislike the elf, on the contrary she was actually quite fond of him, but he was a servant and her parents had always told her that it was below a witch of such noble blood to waste time with filthy creatures like house elves.

As Eliza walked through the swinging double doors separating the dining room from the kitchen she was greeted by two large masses of fur barreling towards her. She laughed and sank into a crouch as the family's Scottish deerhounds competed against each other, straining to lick her and receive her affection.

"Pepper, Wolfe. Sit!" she commanded, still chuckling. Immediately the two dogs' rear ends sank to the floor in unison and they sat at attention, ears perked. Eliza smiled, remembering when she and Draco had received the dogs as a joint present for their seventh birthdays four years ago. They hadn't lost any of the seemingly boundless energy they had shown as pups. She stood, gave each dog a scratch behind the ears as she passed, and made her way towards the kitchen island.

Taking a seat at one of the wrought iron bar stools she waited for only a few moments before one of the house elves appeared, pushing a trolley with a covered tray on top. In total there were seven elves working for her family. Each had an appointed duty such as cleaning the house or helping to maintain the grounds, and often weren't seen. The plate was placed in front of her, and the cover removed to reveal her typical breakfast arrangement. Juicy back bacon, sausages, toast piled high with sweet strawberry jam, and underneath it all a thick pile of fluffy scrambled eggs. The elf poured her a glass of fresh orange juice before stepping back against the far wall, waiting for further instructions.

Eliza looked up from her breakfast to see Draco pushing his way through the kitchens double doors, the dogs hot on his heels. She stifled a snicker at the sight of his hair which, although usually slicked back, was sticking up from the back of his head at odd angles.

"I hope your planning to fix that before we leave for the train" she chuckled.

"Of course I am!" Draco snapped, "What about you? How are you gonna fix _that_?" He gestured towards her red hair "keep it like that and people are gonna think you're a Weasley"

She could feel her face growing hot "I'm not a Weasley" she said forcefully, her voice low and eyes flashing a warning. She stood, pushing her empty plate away "you better eat fast, fathers going to want to leave soon." With a swish of her hair she turned and stormed from the kitchen.

Climbing the main stairway she paused mid-way, looking back over her shoulder at the dining room, and mumbled again "I'm not a weasley," before turning and making her way back to her bedroom. She opened the paned glass double doors leading out to her balcony and whistled. Seconds later, a large, fawn colored barn owl swooped down to land on her shoulder.

"Good morning Athena" She cooed, gently stroking the owl's feathers. "Or I suppose it's more like good evening for you, isn't it?" The owl nuzzled against her hair, and nipped her ear affectionately. "It's time to go to school now" Eliza explained, walking towards the large gilded bird cage set beside her trunk "Which means you gotta go in your cage now, ok?" She opened the cage door and Athena hopped down from her shoulder, although rather reluctantly, and settled onto her perch.

There was a knock on the bedroom door and Eliza turned to see her mother enter. "Are you almost finished?" The older woman asked "Your father has already called for the car"

"I'm just settling Athena into her cage, I'll be down in a moment," Eliza replied. As her mother turned to leave she called out "mother?"

"Yes darling?"

"Could you…" she hesitated, taking a deep breath before continuing "Could you change my hair back to how its supposed to be?"

Her mother raised a perfect eyebrow "I thought you liked your hair like this, 'something different for the summer' you said"

"I know I did, but Draco said..."

"Your brother has difficulty choosing which words are appropriate to say and which are not"

"But he said I look like a Weasley!"

Narcissa sighed and walked over to kneel in front of Eliza, placing her hands on her shoulders "As long as you are clean and presentable it doesn't matter what you look like."

Eliza looked at her shoes "Please, just for school. I have a wand now, you can teach me how to do it for myself when I get home" she looked up into her mother's blue eyes "besides, Draco and I are twins, it would be proper if we truly looked like it"

Her mother sighed again and stood "Alright, appearances are important after all." Reaching into the folds of her robes she pulled out her wand, pointing it at Eliza's hair. "Crinus Muto" she said clearly, with a slight flick of her wrist.

Immediately Eliza felt a tingle spread across her scalp and looked at her hair. The red was fading, replaced by a light platinum blonde, the same shade as her brothers and fathers. "Thank you," she said smiling, admiring the light color.

Narcissa gave her a rare warm smile "come, let's go wait for your father." She snapped her fingers and with a loud crack the house elf named Dobby appeared before them and bowed. "Bring my daughter's trunk downstairs to the entrance hall," she instructed with a slight sneer "Any damage to her belongings will result in punishment"

"Yes mistress" Dobby said, bowing once again "Dobby will not harm any possessions" he grabbed hold of the heavy trunk with one hand and snapped his fingers with the other. There was another loud crack and both the elf and trunk had disappeared.

"I'll take Athena" Eliza said quickly, not wanting her precious companion to be taken in such a rough manner as the trunk had been. It had been proven that owls and apparation did not mix well. Her mother nodded and led the way from the bedroom.

She picked up the cage as gently as possible, surprised slightly by the combined weight of having the owl inside. Athena ruffled her feathers, bracing herself against the movement. Eliza followed her mother from the bedroom, glancing over her shoulder for one last look before shutting the door and heading back to entrance hall. Draco was waiting beside the trunks; his hair now neatly slicked back and looking exceptionally bored. His eagle owl Orion at his side on the floor, ruffling his feathers with disdain at being forced in his cage.

It wasn't long before their father appeared from the depths of his study, striding towards them in a neatly pressed suit. "The ministry car will be here shortly" As her father was held in high regard with the ministry, the family would often use one of it's selection of muggle vehicles to travel whenever wizarding methods of transport were not available. Sure enough, there came a knock at the door, and in stepped a young man in a light grey suit.

"Good morning sir, madam" the young wizard nodded towards Lucius and Narcissa in turn "I'll be your driver today. Would you like me to load the trunks?"

"That won't be necessary. Tilly! Dobby!" Lucius called with disdain. Once again, the house elf Dobby appeared with a crack, and the female elf Tilly emerged from the dining room where she had been polishing the silverware. "load the trunks into the car, quickly"

Moments later, with trunks, owls and passengers loaded into the luxurious vehicle, the family was off, and Eliza could feel butterflies beginning to form in her stomach.

The large tower clock had just begun to chime out ten when the car pulled up in front of Kings cross.

"Packed with muggles" Eliza's father sneered with disgust "it's a disgrace really, relying on muggles transport in this day and age"

They got out, their driver fetching a trolley for their trunks and made their way inside the crowded station.

"Crabbe! Goyle!" Draco called suddenly, striding off towards the two large boys visible through the throngs of muggle passengers. With a glance at her mother, who nodded, Eliza followed close behind.

"look, its itty bitty Lizzy!" cried Goyle as she approached, reaching out to ruffle her hair

"I'm older than you, Gregory!" Eliza countered, smacking his hand away

"But your smaller than us" piped up Crabbe, which, although frustrating, was very true. While the boys were only a few inches taller than her, they certainly had more width.

"come now children, we mustn't quarrel in public places, it looks terrible" her fathers voice came from behind her and they turned to see her and Draco's parents striding towards them, arm in arm. The driver waiting patiently with the trunks behind them.

"good to see you boys again. I hope your summers have been going well. Are your parents about?" asked Narcissa

"Dad was busy, so I came with him" said Goyle, nodding at Crabbe

"Well then, what a shame" Narcissa nodded with a slight frown

"We should be going, mustn't be late" Lucius gestured for the group to follow.

Off they went, Crabbe and Goyle pushing their trolleys, Draco in the lead like some kind of prince at the head of a procession. Eliza trailed behind, her eyes scanning the busy platforms for the boy with glasses and messy hair.

"Eliza!" called her mother, bringing her back to attention as they stopped in front of the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. She held out her hand and Eliza took it, Draco taking the other with a huff of annoyance.

"straight through" she said calmly, and began leading them towards the barrier.

From a young age, their parents had told them about their experiences at Hogwarts. About the great scarlet steam engine that brought them to the wizarding town of Hogsmeade just outside the grounds, a place they had even visited once or twice. They had also told them about the barrier to separate the platform from the muggle world. Even knowing this, Eliza felt herself falter as she came face to face with the solid-looking brick wall, and shut her eyes tight. If it hadn't been for her mother's tight grip on her hand, leading her forward, she may have stopped altogether.

Suddenly the normal sounds the busy station changed, the hoots and clicks of owls came from all sides, meows of disdain from cats clutched in their owners arms, and even the croak of a toad could be heard. She opened her eyes to see her parents' stories barely did the sight justice. The huge steam engine glistened in the morning light filtering through the glass skylights high above, steam billowing from its shiny black coal-stack. She looked over shoulder to see Crabbe rushing through the barrier, closely followed by Goyle. And then their father was there, Crabbe's mother and father close behind. Lucius strode towards them, with the hint of a sneer on his face.

"Disgusting really, its truly gone to the dogs."

"Lucius" Narcissa chided "there's no need for that today"

"I've told you before, they would've been better off at Durmstrang"

"And I've told you I don't want them so far away!"

"Come on," said Draco, grabbing Eliza's arm and dragging her away "let's go get a compartment. Crabbe! Goyle! Bring the trunks."

"We can bring our own trunks, Draco" Eliza protested, planting her feet.

"But they don't mind doing it, do you?" asked Draco, staring down the bigger boys.

"uhh, no. Don't mind at all"

"Come on then!"

"Wait! Just let me get Athena" Eliza said, dashing to the trolley to grab her beloved owl from where she sat on top of the trunks. After a brief pause for consideration she grabbed Orion's gilded cage as well and handed it to Draco. "Now we can go."

"Come back to say farewell!" Narcissa called after them and Draco waved in acknowledgment as they climbed aboard the train, Crabbe and Goyle carrying a trunk a piece behind them.

"Why do you have to order them around all the time?" Eliza questioned.

"Because they're stupid, but they listen and they're loyal, which makes them useful" Draco replied dismissively

"But that's not fair to them!"

"Look, would you rather have someone like Pansy who won't shut up and is just smart enough to think they know everyone? Or do you want someone who won't question you and stay by you no matter what? Here, this one's open" Draco pulled open the door to an empty compartment and threw himself down in a seat by the window, Orion letting out a squawk of disdain as he was placed rather roughly on the ground at Draco's feet. Because they had arrived so early, they were near the front of the train, only a couple of carriages behind the prefects, and their parents could still be seen talking to Mr. and Mrs. Crabbe through the window.

Eliza had no answer for her brother, instead she simply placed Athena on the luggage rack above the seat, and waited in silence. The compartment soon began to feel rather stifling though, so she slid open the window. Instantly the muted sounds from the platform rushed in, and the smell of steam from the engine filled the compartment. She had to admit there was logic to her brother's words, ever since they were little it had been drilled into their heads the importance of understanding people, and how to get the most out of them. Her thoughts were interrupted by the door sliding open. In came Crabbe and Goyle, both panting slightly from dragging the heavy trunks. They swung them up into the racks none to gently, rattling them and causing Athena the hoot her displeasure.

"Be careful!" Draco snapped

"sorry boss"

"yeah, sorry"

"come on Eliza, mother will want to say goodbye, Goyle, stay here so no-on takes our seats." Draco gestured towards to corridor, and reluctantly Eliza rose from her seat and followed behind.

Back out on the platform, it seemed as if the number of families had doubled in the short time it had taken them to find seats. It took a moment to locate their parents in the crowd, and the large hanging clock chimed out half-past ten when Eliza spotted them. Eliza could see her father's face twisted with disgust as both magical and muggle parents mixed to see their children off. Her mother's face was stony, but there were a hint of tears at the corner of her steely grey eyes, which were quickly wiped away with a subtle sweep of her hand.

"there you are! I had started to worry you had forgotten us."

"Of course we wouldn't forget you mother" said Eliza

"Come here you two" she drew them both into a brief but loving hug "I know you're going to make us so proud"

Eliza sighed, her earlier butterflies returning as fear crept into her mind,

"mother please, You're embarrassing me!" Draco protested, pulling away quickly.

"Narcissa, enough" Lucius snapped "people are watching"

"Oh all right" their mother sighed, standing straight and proud once again. Where Draco had pulled away, Eliza stayed close, holding on to that moment of comfort a little longer.

"Can I talk to you?" Eliza asked, her voice barely a whisper, looking up at her mother with pleading hazel eyes.

"quickly, the train will be leaving soon." She led Eliza off to the side to stand behind one of platforms brick pillars, just out of hearing of her brother and father. "What's bothering you?"

"I'm afraid mother, what if I don't fit in? What if no-one wants to be my friend? What if I don't do well in Slytherin? What if - "

"Eliza, look at me. You are a beautiful, proud, young witch. You already have friends waiting for you. Pansy and the boys have been with you since you were young. You're going to be perfectly all right, and you'll be back soon enough. Just remember who you are and how incredibly special and important that makes you." Narcissa gave a small smile, pausing for a moment as if she was trying to decide what to say next. "Stand by your brother," she said finally "but don't be afraid to be your own person. Now is the time for you to begin to discover your own place in the world." She clasped her hand on Eliza's shoulder, a show of support and understanding. "It's time to go!" she called, loud enough for Draco to hear as well.

Eliza looked to see her father's hands clasped firmly on her brother's shoulders. It seemed she wasn't the only one to receive a talk.

"we'll be expecting to hear good things from you" Lucius told them, his face stern.

"I want to hear all about the sorting, and your progress in your classes!" Narcissa chimed in.

The train blasted a warning whistle, signaling 15 minutes to departure. "Come on" Draco said, coming to Eliza's side. "it's time to go." Reluctantly she followed him, glancing over her shoulder at their parents. Both were as composed as ever, subtle pride the only emotion showing through their elegant demeanor.

Back on the train it was considerably more crowded, children of all ages jamming up the corridors with trunks and bodies as they searched for compartments, and greeting one another. They came upon their compartment to discover Goyle was no longer alone. Sitting on the seat opposite him was a petit girl with shirt black hair framing her rather pug-like face.

"Hello Pansy" Draco said, as politely as he could manage.

"Draco, how lovely" Pansy Parkinson practically spat, her voice dripping with false sweetness. The two of them had been at odds ever since they were little, something about a stolen wand from their parents and lots of mud.

"where's Crabbe?" Draco commanded, looking at Goyle.

"uhh, I dunno"

"He's still on the platform" Pansy piped up.

"I didn't ask you!" Draco snapped, reclining into a seat as far from pansy as he could get "and I never said you could sit with us either."

"Oh please, like you'd be able to make me leave" pansy replied instantly.

"Oh knock it off, the train hasn't even left the station yet!" Eliza snapped at the two of them, motioning for Goyle to move so she could sit against the window, across from Pansy. She gazed out onto the platform, scanning the crowd for Crabbe's bulk. Instead of the bulky boy, she potted what seemed to be a small army of red-haired people dashing across the platform.

"Oh look, the blood traitors are here" sneer pansy, who had seen the family as well.

"Why don't you go say hello Eliza" Draco piped in, a nasty look on his face. She shot him a withering gaze, and went back to looking out the window when something else caught her eye. Trailing behind the sea of red, a small boy with messy hair, too big clothes, and crooked glasses set on his nose. He was pushing a trolley loaded with a trunk and a cage containing a beautiful snowy owl. Eliza smiled to herself, her friend had made it.

"- It's disgusting really, that they let that sort of rubbish into the school. It's like father has said, absolutely gone to the dogs." Eliza turned back to the other three as Draco continued his small rant "honestly, there's more and more mudbloods and blood traitors every year, isn't that right Eliza?" He turned to look at her expectantly. Eliza was silent for a moment, thinking of what to say. "well…It's not like they can afford it, with all their children, no wonder they're stuck with rags"

Pansy began to laugh, a high-pitched, wheezy laugh that resembled the squeal of a pig, which made Eliza smile. "Exactly!" Pansy squealed "They breed like rats, and probably have fleas like rats too!" Draco and Goyle joined in on the laughter, and Eliza managed a quiet giggle as the compartment door slid open again and Crabbe stood in the doorway. His face twisted in confusion at their laughter "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing" Draco answered, still chuckling to himself "just sit down"

Crabbe did so, squishing in between Pansy and Goyle. "Hey!" pansy protested, as she became rather squished against the window by the bulk of the two bigger boys.

"shut up pansy!" Draco snapped.

"Why don't you make me?" pansy hissed back.

"Here pansy, I'll move" Eliza shifted to sit closer to Draco, motioning for Pansy to take the window seat.

"See!" Pansy exclaimed "at least one of you has learned some manners." She shot an accusing glare at Draco.

At last everyone was decently comfortable, Crabbe and Goyle taking up one side of the compartment, while Draco, Eliza and Pansy took up the other side, their slighter frames leaving a comfortable distance between them. The train let out a final warning whistle, on the platform parents were saying their last quick goodbyes waving to the children hanging out of the train windows. Eliza quickly scanned for her parents, but they had already left. She hadn't expected them to stay long, her father had work and her mother was probably meeting with some of the other women in her social circle for tea. It still gave Eliza a pang of remorse though, she hd hoped her parents would at least stay to watch the train leave.

A second whistle sounded, and the train began to move. Slowly at first, then faster and faster as the station and all the parents on it passed in a blur. Then they were out into the city, speeding over roadways and past city parks.

"did your parents tell you about the sorting?" Pansy asked finally, breaking the silence. Both Crabbe and Goyle shook their heads, and Eliza just shrugged

"Not really" Draco replied "they just said there would be nothing to worry about. We already know where we're going to be anyway though, don't we?"

"Of course! All the best wizards are from slytherin, even Merlin himself!" Pansy exclaimed.

"I think I read somewhere that Dumbledore was a Gryffindor." Eliza said suddenly, before fully realizing what she was saying. Everyone looked at her and she froze, back-pedaling in her mind. "I mean, he may be just a crazy old man, but even father can't deny that he's powerful."

"Gryffindor is full of nothing but goody two-shoes who like to think they're special. That's what my mother says" Pansy scoffed

"At least it's not Hufflepuff" Crabbe pointed out.

"Crabbe, I think that's the smartest thing you've said all year!" Draco crowed, and the group devolved into laughter once again. Except for Crabbe, who seemed perplexed as he tried to understand the meaning of the blonde boys words.

Eventually the laughter died, and the group sat in silence for a time. Goyle grabbed out a deck of cards and started a game of exploding snap with the other boys. Pansy gazed out the window, seemingly lost in thought, and Eliza pulled out her copy of 'Fantastic beasts and where the find them' from her trunk, picking up where she had left off reading the night before.

At around quarter past noon, after Goyle once again burned his fingers by moving to slow, Eliza shut her book.

"I'm going to the lavatory" she said suddenly, standing up and stowing her book back in her trunk. "do you want to come with me Pansy?"

"Might as well" Pansy replied in a bored voice, "perhaps we'll find some sweets on the way."

"perhaps we should put on our robes as well?"

Pansy just shrugged, so Eliza pulled out her school robes and slipped them over her head, waiting as Pansy did the same, and grabbed her coin purse from her trunk. Then the two girls made their way out into the chaos of the corridor. Other children their age were running up and down the hallways, older students going back and forth talking with friends in different compartments.

"do they even have lavatories on these muggle contraptions?" pansy asked, doubt clear in her voice.

"They must" Eliza replied, thinking hard "it would be madness to expect all these students to go before they leave, or wait Merlin knows how long until we arrive"

"Well where are they then?"

"I don't know, perhaps we could ask someone?"

"And risk asking a mudblood for help? No thank you"

"Well then I guess we just have to look for ourselves."

A/N

I just want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has favorited and followed this story and myself. It means so so much to me as an author to know there are people who enjoy my work. Thank you!


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